The BlackBerry failure: How to solve a problem with the client

A few days ago the users of BlackBerry phones began to notice failures in their terminals: the emails did not arrive, the messaging did not work and navigation was almost impossible.

Far from being solved, the problem was extended to other countries, causing a global collapse, which was not solved after the press conference of RIM (Research In Motion), manufacturer of the terminals.

It seems that, after three days, the services begin to be restored and now comes the time of the claims.

For telephony operators, and possibly for RIM, the problem is to address tens of thousands of claims for interrupting the provision of a service. With the law in hand, the proportional part to be paid over the total of the monthly fee will be calculated and, as already announced by an operator, will be discounted in the next invoice.

The amount resulting from this calculation, in the best case, will range between 0.60 and 1.50 dollars.

In the meantime, the inconvenience caused to its customers will surely have had quite serious consequences: loss of business and sales, delays in usual processes, misunderstandings, loss of information, time, etc.

Any customer who has suffered one of these setbacks and receives a monthly payment of 80 cents will feel insulted. Therefore, how should we act to adequately compensate a client that we have harmed?

For a majority of cases, these 6 steps will serve:

• Recognize the problem . In this phase, the most important thing is not to look for a culprit. The explanation of the problem is necessary, but the client will be reassured to know that we recognize the existence of a problem.
• Apologize . It is essential that the client knows that we understand and regret the discomforts that we are creating.
• Solve the problem . The client must be certain that we are working hard to deal with the problem as soon as possible and clearly perceive when the problem is solved.
• Provide compensation . This is the most complex point. To avoid offending the client, the compensation has to go in relation to the inconvenience caused. In the case of BlackBerry failure, the customer could perceive greater sensitivity with the inconvenience caused if the company paid the equivalent of one or two weeks of quota than the legal minimum.
• Track . Once a reasonable period of time has elapsed, we can contact the client to confirm that the service has been restored and that the necessary measures have been taken so that the problem does not happen again, in order to restore his confidence in our company.
• Thank the fidelity . Gratitude is one of the most useful tools for a company or brand. Unfortunately, as customers we are not used to being grateful for our trust. That is why sincere gratitude can be a good closing of the circle to avoid that a specific problem can produce a customer leak.